61st National Maritime Day | 16 Apr 2024

Source: PIB

Recently, the 61^st National Maritime Day was celebrated by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The event also included the celebration of Sports Day on 5^th April 2024 in New Delhi.

The day was observed as a tribute to the maiden voyage of the first Indian-owned ship, SS Loyalty from Mumbai to London on 5^th April 1919.
On this day, various ports and maritime organisations under MoPSW, commemorated the velour and dedication of seafarers, exemplifying Maritime Excellence.
- Seafarers are people who work on ships or people who travel regularly on the sea.
Also, the prestigious Sagar Samman Awards were to acknowledge exemplary contributions within the maritime sector.
India is a signatory to both the STCW Convention and the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).
- STCW Convention 1978: It was the first to establish basic requirements on training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers on an international level.
- The Maritime Labour Convention 2006: It provides standards and regulations relating to the working and living conditions of seafarers.